‘Fabricate a case and arrest them…’, Former DGP accused of framing Fadnavis and Shinde in ULC scam

Mumbai: A serious revelation has surfaced, sending shockwaves through Maharashtra’s politics and police department. A report prepared by former Director General of Police Rashmi Shukla alleges that in 2021, then-Director General of Police Sanjay Pandey attempted to falsely implicate then-Leader of the Opposition and current Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Eknath Shinde in the ULC scam.

The report has been submitted to the Additional Chief Secretary of the Maharashtra Home Department. It states that Sanjay Pandey instructed Thane DCP Laxmikant Patil and ACP Sardar Patil to present Fadnavis and Shinde as accused in the 2016 ULC case and show that they had extorted money from builders.

The report also states that ACP Sardar Patil was pressured to arrest Fadnavis and Shinde. Sanjay Punamiya, an accused arrested in this case, has also provided investigating agencies with an audio clip, which allegedly contains a conversation between Sanjay Pandey, Laxmikant Patil, and Sardar Patil discussing framing Fadnavis.

Furthermore, the report mentions case CR No. 176/2021 of Kopri Police Station. It alleges that DCP Laxmikant Patil interrogated Punamiya and Sunil Jain after their arrest, even though he was not the investigating officer in the case. During the interrogation, Punamiya was pressured to disclose the amount of money allegedly extorted by Fadnavis from builders.

The report concludes that this entire incident reflects the misuse of the police machinery for political vendetta. This revelation has raised serious questions about power, law and order, and the credibility of impartial investigations in Maharashtra. Demands for an investigation and action in this matter are gaining momentum, which is likely to create a major upheaval in the state’s politics.

What is the ULC Scam?
The Urban Land Ceiling (ULC) scam in Maharashtra is a land scam related to the Urban Land Ceiling Act, 1976. Under this law, urban land exceeding 500 square meters was acquired by the government to ensure proper management of land for public use. However, corruption played a major role in this process, resulting in significant financial losses for the state.

In this scam, landowners created forged documents to evade government acquisition and receive lower compensation. With the help of corrupt officials, fraudulent certificates were issued under the Urban Land Ceiling (ULC) Act, allowing landowners to keep their properties out of the government’s reach. Thus, land worth crores of rupees was illegally protected, causing substantial financial losses to the government.

The Bombay High Court has described this scam as one of the biggest land scams to date. The court has demanded strict action in this case to prevent similar corruption in the future. The police have also made several arrests in connection with the case. The investigation is ongoing, and it is expected that the culprits will be severely punished.